Born in 1969 and educated at the Communication University of China (formerly known as the Beijing Broadcasting Institute), , Li Yong is considered one of the most popular and bankable stars among a stable of more subdued personalities at China Central Television, or CCTV, the central government's television network. One study publicized by state media - though not independently verified - declared that Mr. Li was the most valuable host in China, with a projected annual value of US$50.8 million to CCTV.

 

Li was assigned a job at CCTV after graduation. He worked on the news side as a reporter and producer, but it was his shift to entertainment that made him famous. His big break came in 1998 when he was host of a game show called "Lucky 52." He had never imagined himself a television celebrity, growing up in the remote western region of Xinjiang. Li's style on "Lucky 52" - his sweeping hair, his stylized attire and his loose on-air demeanor - was so unorthodox that scholars invited him to attend a conference to discuss whether he should be encouraged or if the show should be canceled. But these days, many commentators have come to see his style as far preferable to that of hosts who seem to be stiffly reciting memorized lines.

Li Yong is a regular host of the annual Spring Festival Gala, the four-hour-plus variety show broadcasted live on the eve of the traditional Chinese lunar new year. The program, perennially one of the world's most-watched shows, started in 1983 and attracted almost every person with a television.